Posts in Energy in Oregon
Working for Oregon’s Clean Energy Future

As Oregon moves toward a clean energy future, including 100 percent clean electricity by 2040, we’ll need a robust workforce to help make it happen. Oregon will need electricians to install and maintain electric vehicle charging, engineers and construction experts to build and maintain solar, wind, battery, and other clean resources to support the grid, and energy efficiency technicians to reduce our energy consumption to help keep energy costs low – among many other potential family-wage jobs.

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April 2023 Newsletter

In this month’s newsletter, the Oregon Global Warming Commission publishes a new roadmap of climate actions, a deadline approaches for ODOE's Energy Efficient Wildfire Rebuilding Incentive, the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub applies for federal funding, and more.

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The Price for Power: What Drives Energy Costs for Consumers?

The way energy is produced and delivered varies widely, and multiple factors can affect how much Oregon consumers end up paying for their energy needs. The Oregon Department of Energy’s 2022 Biennial Energy Report included an Energy 101 discussing consumer energy cost drivers, from geography to regulation to market forces – and more.

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ODOE Director Janine Benner Talks Clean Energy Transition with University of Oregon Green Business Initiative

ODOE Director Janine Benner was pleased to join the University of Oregon Green Business Initiative’s annual symposium on April 13 to share about Oregon’s energy landscape, our climate and energy goals, and how recent federal funding investments can be a game-changer for an equitable clean energy transition.

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Apply by May 31 for Energy Efficient Wildfire Rebuilding Incentive

After more than 5,000 structures were damaged or lost to wildfires over Labor Day 2020, the Oregon Legislature created a program at the Oregon Department of Energy to provide financial incentives to encourage energy-efficient rebuilding efforts. Oregonians currently have until May 31 to apply for an incentive.

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Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association Submits Application for USDOE Regional Hubs Funding

The Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association submitted its full Funding Opportunity Application to the U.S. Department of Energy today in a bid to become one of the Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Up to $1 billion in federal funding is at stake, with the potential for tens of thousands of jobs associated with a successful hub proposal in the Pacific Northwest.

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March 2023 Newsletter

In this month’s newsletter, ODOE is accepting applications from regional administrators for our heat pump deployment program, celebrating the first electric school bus supported by Public Purpose Charge funds, meeting the next generation of energy experts, and more.

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Oregon Public Purpose Charge Funds Support First Electric School Bus East of the Cascades

Students will be able to enjoy a new kind of ride to school after Bend-LaPine Schools acquired its first all-electric school bus this spring. The electric school bus was also the first bus supported, in part, with Public Purpose Charge funds. The Public Purpose Charge program, administered by the Oregon Department of Energy, is funded through the state’s two largest electric utilities, Portland General Electric and Pacific Power.

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ODOE Now Accepting Applications for Community Heat Pump Deployment Program

An online application portal is now open for eligible entities and Tribes to apply for grant funding to support local heat pump deployment programs. The Oregon Department of Energy’s Community Heat Pump Deployment Program will award funds to selected regional administrators that will offer financial assistance for heat pump installations in the communities they serve.

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February 2023 Newsletter

In this month’s newsletter, ODOE heads to the Capitol for the 2023 Legislative Session, recruits Regional Administrators for a new heat pump deployment program, talks long-duration energy storage and wind turbine recycling, invites Oregonians to a Biennial Energy Report webinar, and more.

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Oregon Department of Energy Seeking Regional Administrators for Community Heat Pump Deployment Program

The Oregon Department of Energy is seeking eligible regional entities to administer the agency’s new Community Heat Pump Deployment Program. The program will allocate grant dollars to eligible entities that will then, as Regional Administrators, provide financial assistance for the purchase and installation of heat pumps and related upgrades in Oregon homes.

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Forging a Path for Long-Duration Energy Storage

Some energy grid planners and utilities have identified a need for energy storage resources that can provide energy to the grid for longer durations. In the Oregon Department of Energy’s 2022 Biennial Energy Report, we dive into what long-duration energy storage might look like, and highlight an Oregon-grown company looking to forge a path for long-duration storage.

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Wind: Renewable, Re-powered, and Recycled

Oregon’s first utility-scale wind facility began operation in 2001 – today, more than a dozen wind facilities are in operation or under construction in the state. As wind facilities begin to age or produce less power, what happens to the materials – wood, fiberglass, and metals – that make up the turbines?

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January 2023 Newsletter

In this month’s newsletter, ODOE begins accepting applications for a second round of grants, highlights the basics about heat pump technology and upcoming programs, welcomes a new Energy Facility Siting Council member, and more.

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OCCRI’s Sixth Climate Assessment Outlines Climate Change Effects on Oregon

On January 4, 2023 the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute released the Sixth Oregon Climate Assessment, a biennial evaluation of recent scientific findings relating to the impacts and risks of climate change in Oregon. ODOE Senior Clean Energy Policy Analyst Amy Schlusser summarizes some of the key findings from the Assessment.

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